60 Best Movies of the 2000s You Can Watch Right Now
In some ways, the 2000s feel like neither here nor there culturally: they don’t have the neon vibe we associate with the 1980s, and they lack the grunge appeal of the ’90s. However, there is a lot to appreciate in the films of a decade filled with blockbusters: The Lord of the Rings in the early years, Iron Man , The Dark Knight and Avatar in the end. None of them feel particularly formulaic, as their successors often did, and there were plenty of successful films in the middle years that they no longer make: mid-budget films with personal rather than galactic stakes that still managed to do brisk business at the box office. It was a decade on the cusp of the mega-blockbuster era, and that tension between the indie-loving ’90s and the present kept things interesting.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
The Coen brothers’ magnum opus won four Oscars, including one for best picture and for Javier Bardem’s portrayal of merciless killer Anton Chigurh. In the noir-western, Llewelyn Moss, played by Josh Brolin, stumbles upon money left over from a drug deal and runs away with it. He is being pursued not only by Chigurh, but also by Tommy Lee Jones’ Sheriff Bell. You can stream No Country for Old Men on Peacock and MGM+, or rent it on Prime Video .
Ghost World (2001)
Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) graduate from high school and fall in love with Steve Buscemi in Terry Zwigoff’s indie black comedy. You can stream Ghost World on Tubi, Kanopy and Prime Video .
Dream Girls (2006)
The cast here is incredible: Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx and Beyoncé, for starters. Even more incredible are the absolutely electric musical numbers, including and especially “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” You can stream Dreamgirls on Kanopy and Peacock or rent it from Prime Video .
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Meryl Street is one of the greatest movie villains of all time as boss from hell Miranda Priestly, who confronts (and destroys) Anne Hathaway’s disgruntled personal assistant, Andy Sachs. You can rent The Devil Wears Prada from Prime Video .
Almost Famous (2000)
Cameron Crowe’s 1970s comedy/drama about a young music journalist going on tour with a major band is a funny, touching watch that isn’t afraid to veer in some unexpected and idiosyncratic directions. Hold me close, tiny dancer. You can stream Almost Famous on Paramount+ or rent it on Prime Video .
The Incredibles (2004)
This Pixar triumph came before the wave of superhero films had peaked, and that’s all the better for it. If only everything was so good for them. You can stream The Incredibles on Disney+ or rent it on Prime Video .
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ang Lee’s cowboy drama has a big heart and minimal understanding of the mechanics of male homosexual sex, but it deserves much better than its fate, since the Oscar also went to the worst Crash. You can rent Brokeback Mountain from Prime Video .
Love and Basketball (2000)
Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps play next-door neighbors who battle their growing attraction to each other over the course of several years, even as their basketball ambitions keep them apart. The chemistry here is incredible. You can rent Love & Basketball on Prime Video.
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Wong Kar-wai’s lush, extravagant tale of sex and longing finds Chow (Tony Leung) and Su (Maggie Cheung) developing feelings for each other after their spouses begin an affair. The film, set in the 60s, is much more than just style, but the style is impeccable. You can stream In the Mood for Love on Max and The Criterion, or rent it on Prime Video .
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Only the real ones knew what to do with Jennifer’s Body in 2009, and it took the film a long time to become the cult classic it was probably always destined to be. Here, popular teen Jennifer (Megan Fox) is turned into a succubus by cruel men who gleefully murder boys at school, to the universal horror of her friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried). You can rent Jennifer’s Body on Prime Video .
Mean Girls (2004)
Given the film’s impressive runtime, it’s tempting to call Mean Girls a cult classic, except that it also made a ton of money in its time. When Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) falls in with the cool crowd at her public school, she quickly realizes there’s more to it than she’s cracked up to be. You can stream Mean Girls on Kanopy and Paramount+ , or rent it on Prime Video .
Barbershop (2002)
Everything from sex to relationships to OJ to civil rights is on the agenda in this comedy/drama, and the cast of colorful and interesting characters makes it a fun place to hang out. You can rent Barbershop from Prime Video .
American Splendor (2003)
Starring the great Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis as underground comic creators Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner. “Splendor” is a stylish portrait of a pair of ordinary people who also happen to be great American artists. You can stream American Splendor on Max or rent it from Prime Video .
The Departed (2006)
In Martin Scorsese’s remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, Leonardo DiCaprio goes undercover for a criminal organization while Matt Damon infiltrates the police. It’s all very meandering and represents Jack Nicholson’s last great performance (barring his unexpected retirement). You can rent The Departed from Prime Video.
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Or you can watch the Hong Kong original from directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak – a smart, emotional crime thriller in its own right. You can stream Infernal Affairs on Max and The Criterion, or rent it from Prime Video .
Casino Royale (2006)
Daniel Craig’s first appearance as Bond is one of the series’ best, introducing a leaner, meaner 007 in the first official adaptation of Ian Fleming’s very first book. You can rent Casino Royale from Prime Video.
Secretary (2002)
There’s real passion between Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader, but also a sense of humor that makes the passionate intensity of their relationship all the more exciting. You can rent Secretary from Prime Video .
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
The stunning animated film, set in 1920s New Orleans, proved that there was still a place for traditional animation at Disney and introduced Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) to the pantheon of Disney princesses. You can stream The Princess and the Frog on Disney+ or rent it on Prime Video .
And that mother too (2001)
Two teenage boys go on an impromptu trip with a slightly older (and married) woman with whom they both have a crush. Alfonso Cuaron’s film is a sweet, funny and sad coming of age film. You can stream Y Tu Mamá También on Hulu and Netflix or rent it from Prime Video .
Brown Sugar (2002)
Brown Sugar considers Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan to be friends and sometimes rivals in the music industry, who very slowly begin to realize their mutual attraction. You can stream Brown Sugar on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video .
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
There are several love stories in the margins of Ang Lee’s martial arts masterpiece (and international blockbuster), but the most heartwarming is the central story of retiring swordsman Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) and his confidante and associate Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh). Despite their mutual attraction, honor and loyalty keep them apart until the beautiful, tear-soaked final act. You can stream Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on Max or rent it on Prime Video .
Record (2007)
This Spanish import features high-quality footage featuring a group of firefighters on an emergency call who find themselves trapped inside a building in the middle of a creeping zombie infestation. This limited, specific geography is key to the film’s brisk, efficient, and nervous effectiveness. You can stream Rec on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video .
Shrek (2001)
The creators of Shrek turned the Disney formula on its head, mixing slightly crude but very funny humor with a genuinely heartfelt story about self-acceptance. In doing so, they won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and the film received an Adapted Screenplay nomination—a first for an animated film. Not bad for a gas ogre. Plus: The movie opens with a “Smash Mouth” montage and doesn’t get much more 2000s. You can stream Shrek on Peacock or rent it on Prime Video .
How High (2001)
The Buddy Method Meng and Redman get help from their dead friend after smoking his ashes, passing their college entrance exams, and getting into Harvard. A silly stoner classic. You can stream How High on Tubi and Peacock or rent it on Prime Video .
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
In many other stoner comedies, Indian- and Korean-Americans are likely to be featured as supporting characters and broad stereotypes—here they take the lead. It’s okay, the movie is damn funny. You can stream Harold & Kumar on Peacock or rent it on Prime Video.
9th session (2001)
A true cult horror classic, Session 9 stars David Caruso as a member of an asbestos abatement team working in an abandoned mental hospital. The place is truly creepy, but the film is ultimately psychologically stunning as the work crew’s experiences begin to match those of the former patients. You can rent Session 9 from Prime Video.
Eating Out (2004)
The series opens with a twisted series of Three’s Company -style mix-ups featuring gay guys pretending to be straight and straight guys pretending to be gay, with just the right amount of wacky charm and nudity that this type of movie needs to succeed. You can stream Eating Out on Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video .
Up (2009)
Ed Asher plays grumpy widower Carl Fredricksen, who finds an unlikely ally in a 13-year-old wilderness explorer in his plan to move his entire house to Paradise Falls, South America, to honor his late wife. You can stream Up on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video .
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Like the best heist movies, this one works at least as well when things go wrong for our team as when things go right. The star-studded cast adds panache. You can rent Ocean’s Eleven on Prime Video .
Oldboy (2003)
Park Chan-wook’s classic revenge is by no means for the faint of heart – it’s an unsettling spectacle that leads to the ultimate shock of revelation in the final act. You can stream Oldboy on Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
Nia Vardalos and company kicked off an unlikely franchise with this beloved rom-com about a young Greek-American woman (Nia Vardalos) who falls in love with a non-Greek man (John Corbett). Shenanigans begin as she struggles to get her family (including Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin and Joey Fatone) to accept her future husband. You can stream My Big Fat Greek Wedding on Max .
Spy Kids (2001)
A smart, family-friendly action classic in which a pair of kids learn about spy networks when they have to rescue their ex-spy parents. The best of a franchise that’s still around. You can stream Spy Kids on Max or rent it on Prime Video .
Marie Antoinette (2006)
Sofia Coppolla’s vivid historical drama is filled with deliberate anachronisms, all of which serve to erase the distance between us and the story of the intelligent and tragic Queen of France (Kirsten Dunst). You can stream Marie Antoinette on Pluto TV or rent it on Prime Video.
Cloverfield (2008)
Yes, it’s a monster movie, but we saw something unique in Cloverfield . There are plenty of low-budget, scrappy, video-style films out there; it’s a big-budget spectacle that’s also highly effective. You can stream Cloverfield on Tubi and Kanopy, or rent it from Prime Video .
Unbreakable (2000)
M. Night Shyamalan’s take on superheroes was seen as a slightly disappointing follow-up to the director’s breakthrough The Sixth Sense . However, time has been kind to the clear and thoughtful story of a man (Bruce Willis) who, after a train crash, discovers that he is almost invulnerable. Samuel L. Jackson is excellent as his extremely fragile colleague. You can stream Unbreakable on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.
Juno (2007)
Diablo Cody won an Oscar for her screenwriting debut with this sweet, quirky story about an independent-minded teenager dealing with an unplanned pregnancy and the various ways it complicates her life. Stars Elliot Page, as well as Michael Cera, Allison Janney and JK Simmons, are among the pretty polished cast. You can stream Juno on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video .
Descent (2006)
Getting lost in these caves is scary enough even before we discover that we are not alone there. The ultimate speleological horror. You can stream The Descent on Tubi or Prime Video with ads .
Gladiator (2000)
Ridley Scott’s sword-and-sandal revival didn’t spark a new boom for the genre, but it made a ton of money and won the Academy Award for Best Picture. And inspire a sequel that would be released two decades later. You can stream Gladiator on Paramount+ , MGM+ and Kanopy or rent it on Prime Video .
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
A boxing picture directed by Clint Eastwood seemed like a comeback even in 2004, but a good old-fashioned boxing drama is always welcome, especially as it has become increasingly rare. The film won four Oscars, including for the lead role of Hilary Swank. You can rent Million Dollar Baby from Prime Video.
Beauty Salon (2005)
This hair salon spin-off follows widowed hairdresser Gina Norris, who starts over in Atlanta with her daughter and opens her own shop when the job doesn’t work out. Queen Latifah is amazing as always and is joined by a great cast including Alfre Woodard, Della Reese, Alicia Silverstone, Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon and Djimon Hounsou. You can stream Beauty Shop on Tubi, Pluto TV and Prime Video with ads .
Ray (2004)
Jamie Foxx delivers an unforgettable performance (and wins an Oscar) in this biopic spanning three or so decades in the life of legendary musician Ray Charles. You can stream Ray on Starz or rent it on Prime Video.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this memorable emo-brain about a troubled teenager who avoids disaster with a little sleepwalking. An instant cult classic, this is the film that all the cool kids were talking about back in the day. You can stream Donnie Darko on Tubi, Kanopy, The Criterion Channel, Hulu and Prime Video .
Training Day (2001)
Director Antoine Fuqua and company created a tense and brutal crime drama that earned Denzel Washington an Academy Award for Best Actor. Is this his best performance? Probably not, but he is unforgettably great as the completely corrupt cop Alonzo Harris. You can rent Training Day on Prime Video.
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
The cutest and most adorable movie about the romance between a man and his lifelike love doll that you are likely to come across. You can stream Lars and the Real Girl on Tubi, Kanopy and Prime Video .
Mulholland Drive (2001)
This love/hate letter to Hollywood is (rightly) considered one of director David Lynch’s best and oddly crowd-pleasing works: a los anuir about murder and obsession and a blue box that’s very important, or something like that. You can rent Mulholland Drive on Apple TV+ .
Lost in Translation (2003)
A fading American movie star experiencing a midlife crisis and a young graduate student facing an equally uncertain future meet while staying at an upscale hotel in Tokyo. The film that cemented Sofia Coppola’s place in the pantheon of directors. You can watch Lost in Translation on Prime Video .
Drumline (2002)
A classic comedy-drama set in the high-stakes world of college marching bands, starring Nick Cannon as a guy with more talent than social skills. You can stream Drumline on Disney+ or rent it on Prime Video .
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
A film-musical about a gender-queer punk rocker, the title of which refers to the results of a failed gender confirmation procedure. The film has a lot of heart and really amazing music. You can rent Hedwig and the Fatal Inch from Prime Video .
The Great Debaters (2007)
Set in 1930 and starring Denzel Washington, this truly gripping drama brings the inspirational imagery of sports films to the more unlikely subject of college debating societies. You can stream The Great Debaters on Tubi or rent it on Prime Video .
Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence (2001)
It’s not necessarily Spielberg’s favorite film, but this sweet and poignant story of a robot boy (Haley Joel Osment) searching for family at the end of the world is as heartbreaking as it is humane. You can stream AI on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video .
Whale Rider (2002)
Pai is a 12-year-old Maori girl and a direct descendant of their tribe’s traditional known ancestor, the Whale Driver, except that traditionally women cannot lead. Star Keisha Castle-Hughes became the youngest Best Actress Oscar nominee for her open, heartfelt performance. You can stream Whale Rider on Tubi, Kanopy and Shout Factory TV or rent it on Prime Video .
Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Josie eventually won over audiences because of her goofy charm, but also because she began to feel increasingly relevant in her satire of the crass commercialization of mass entertainment. You can rent Josie and the Pussycats on Prime Video.
Superbad (2007)
High school is awkward as hell, and Superbad is another classic of the genre: a film about two nerds (Michael Cera and Jonah Hill) who each want to have sex before graduation, but with an amazing heart. You can stream Superbad on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video .
Star Trek (2009)
JJ Abrams’ reboot brought Trek a blockbuster budget, giving the then-dormant franchise the kick in the butt it needed to rocket into the 21st century. You can stream Star Trek on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video .
Children of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón’s dystopian thriller is a truly great high-concept fantasy film, offering an equally depressingly prescient vision of the near future that we’ve seen. Still: it’s beautiful, exciting and often moving. You can stream Children of Men on Starz or rent it from Prime Video .
Come on, come on (2000)
The endlessly repeated teen comedy Bring It On is also a secret sports movie and a stealth musical (if you consider the elaborate dance sequences set to music in the same light as the characters bursting into song), two genres with soothing formulas that stand up to repeated viewings. As fun as it is to watch real gymnastics, it’s also fun to watch young Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union take shots at each other. You can rent Bring It On on Prime Video .
9th District (2009)
Drawing parallels with South African apartheid, writer-director Neill Blomkamp created a smart, edgy sci-fi film that the studios thought audiences wouldn’t like, except that District 9 became a blockbuster, earning many times its budget at the box office. You can rent District 9 from Prime Video .
Spirited Away (2001)
After the witch Yubaba turns her parents into pigs, 10-year-old Chihiro takes a job at her bathhouse in hopes of finding a way to free them. This may be my favorite Hayao Miyazaki film, but I say that often. You can stream Spirited Away on Max or rent it on Prime Video .
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
Tyler Perry (who wrote and starred in the film but did not direct it) introduced a street-level Madea taken from his stage plays featuring the character. The box office success launched a franchise that is still going strong today. You can stream The Diary of a Mad Black Woman on Starz or rent it on Prime Video.
Avatar (2009)
People like to ignore a James Cameron movie (right before they buy tickets), but he’s the only director working with that kind of budget that can make the exact movie he wants. There’s something remarkable about it, whether you like the finished product or not. You can stream Avatar on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video .